JP2008279770A - Printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing apparatus which has not been proposed conventionally. <P>SOLUTION: The printing apparatus has a printing means capable of printing an image data stored in a storage means. The image data based on a data to be transmitted from other apparatus to conduct an indication to the printing apparatus by using a WWW browser is stored in the storage means. After the image data is stored in the storage means, the data to be utilized for displaying a display screen to be applied to indicate a printing of the image data by using the WWW browser is transmitted to other apparatus by the indication of the above other apparatus. When the printing of the image data is indicated through the display screen to be displayed by using the WWW browser in other apparatus, the printing of the image data is conducted by the printing means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a printing apparatus having printing means capable of printing image data stored in a storage means .

  In general, when printing a document created by a computer or the like, an application instructed to print is output through a printer driver registered in a computer (more precisely, an OS). The printer driver translates information passed from the host process (in this case, an application or OS) into a page description language (hereinafter referred to as PDL), and outputs it to the printer apparatus. The printer device analyzes the transferred PDL data, performs bitmap development for each page, and then outputs the bitmap data to the printer engine to print an image on a recording medium (recording paper or the like). .

However, in a printing apparatus having a printing unit capable of printing the image data stored in the storage unit, data transmitted from another apparatus configured to be able to give instructions to the printing apparatus using a WWW browser. The image data based is configured to be stored in the storage means. In addition, after the image data is stored in the storage means, data used to display a display screen that is applied to instruct printing of the image data using the WWW browser, It is configured to transmit to the other device according to an instruction from the device. In addition, when printing of the image data is instructed via the display screen displayed using the WWW browser on the other device, the printing unit is configured to print the image data. No proposal has been made for a printing apparatus having a printing unit capable of printing image data stored in the storage unit as described above.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and provides a printing apparatus configured as described above.

To solve this problem, for example, printing equipment of the present invention comprises the following arrangement. That is,
A printing apparatus having printing means capable of printing image data stored in a storage means,
The printing apparatus includes:
Image data based on data transmitted from another device configured to be able to give instructions to the printing device using a WWW browser is stored in the storage unit;
And the printing apparatus comprises:
After the image data is stored in the storage means,
Data used to display a display screen applied to instruct printing of the image data using the WWW browser is configured to be transmitted to the other device according to an instruction from the other device. ,
And the printing apparatus comprises:
When printing of the image data is instructed via the display screen displayed using the WWW browser on the other device,
It is configured to cause the printing means to print the image data.
It is characterized by that.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a printing apparatus having a printing unit capable of printing image data stored in the storage unit is configured to be able to instruct the printing apparatus using a WWW browser. Image data based on data transmitted from another device is configured to be stored in the storage means. In addition, after the image data is stored in the storage means, data used to display a display screen that is applied to instruct printing of the image data using the WWW browser, It is configured to transmit to the other device according to an instruction from the device. In addition, when printing of the image data is instructed via the display screen displayed using the WWW browser on the other device, the printing unit is configured to print the image data. According to the present invention described in claim 1, a printing apparatus configured as described above can be provided.

  Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The reader unit 1 reads an image of a document and outputs image data corresponding to the document image to the printer unit 2 and the image input / output control unit 3. The printer unit 2 records an image corresponding to the image data from the reader unit 1 and the image input / output control unit 3 on a recording sheet. The image input / output control unit 3 is connected to the reader unit 1 and includes a network interface unit 4, a formatter unit 5, an image memory unit 6, a core unit 7, and the like.

  The network interface unit 4 is an interface for exchanging information between the apparatus and a personal computer or workstation (hereinafter referred to as PC / WS) 8, 9, and 10 using a network adapter or the like.

  The formatter unit 5 develops code data representing data (image data, command data, etc.) transferred from the PC / WS 8, 9, 10 into image data that can be recorded by the printer unit 2, and internally includes a predetermined interpreter. Have The image memory unit 6 temporarily stores data transferred from the PC / WSs 8, 9, and 10. Although the core unit 7 will be described later, the core unit 7 controls the flow of data among the reader unit 1, the network interface unit 4, the formatter unit 5, and the image memory unit 6.

  Then, by combining the core unit 7 and the network interface unit 4, the image input / output control unit 3 behaves like a WWW (World Wide Web) server, and corresponding document data and images based on information from the WWW browser. The data is returned to the WWW browser.

  The PC / WS 8, 9, 10 has a WWW browser function, and presents the information to a WWW server that stores document data and image data according to a target URL.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the reader unit 1 and the printer unit 2. The document feeder 101 of the reader unit 1 feeds the documents one by one on the platen glass 102 sequentially from the last page, and discharges the documents on the platen glass 102 after the document reading operation is completed. When the document is conveyed onto the platen glass 102, the lamp 103 is turned on, and the movement of the scanner unit 104 is started, and the document is exposed and scanned. The reflected light from the original at this time is guided to a CCD image sensor (hereinafter referred to as CCD) 109 by mirrors 105, 106, 107 and a lens 108. Thus, the scanned image of the original is read by the CCD 109. The image data output from the CCD 109 is transferred to the printer unit 2 and the core unit 7 of the image input / output control unit 3 after being subjected to predetermined processing. The

  The printer unit 2 has a laser driver (not shown) for driving the laser light emitting unit 201, and drives the laser light emitting unit 201 to emit light according to the image data output from the reader unit 1. The laser beam is swept by a rotary polygon mirror and then irradiated on the photosensitive drum 202 to form a latent image on the photosensitive drum 202 according to the exposure of the laser beam. A developer (toner or the like) is attached to the latent image portion of the photosensitive drum 202 by the developing unit 203. Then, at the timing synchronized with the start of laser light irradiation, the recording paper is fed from either the cassette 204 or the cassette 205 and conveyed to the transfer unit 206, and the developer attached to the photosensitive drum 202 is transferred to the recording paper. To do. The recording sheet to which the developer has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing unit 207, and the developer is fixed to the recording sheet by the heat and pressure of the fixing unit 207. The recording paper that has passed through the fixing unit 207 is discharged by the discharge roller 208, and the sorter 220 stores the discharged recording paper in each pin and sorts the recording paper. Note that the sorter 220 stores the recording paper in the uppermost pin when the sorting is not set. If double-sided recording is set, the recording paper is transported to the discharge roller 208, and then the rotation direction of the discharge roller 208 is reversed and guided to the refeed conveyance path by the flapper 209. If multiple recording is set, the flapper 209 guides the recording sheet to the refeed conveyance path so that the recording sheet is not conveyed to the discharge roller 208. The recording paper guided to the refeed conveyance path is fed to the transfer unit 206 at the timing described above.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the reader unit 1. Image data output from the CCD 109 is subjected to analog / digital conversion by the A / D / SH unit 110 and shading correction. The image data processed by the A / D / SH unit 110 is transferred to the printer unit 2 through the image processing unit 111 and also transferred to the core unit 7 of the image input / output control unit 3 through the interface unit 113. Is also possible. In addition, when image data is transferred from the core unit 7, the image processing unit 111 can receive it and transfer it to the printer unit 2 to perform printing.

  The CPU 114 controls the image processing unit 111 and the interface 113 according to the setting content set by the operation unit 115. For example, when a copy mode for performing copying by performing trimming processing at the operation unit 115 is set, the image processing unit 111 performs trimming processing and transfers the image to the printer unit 2. When the facsimile transmission mode is set on the operation unit 115, the image data and a control command corresponding to the set mode are transferred from the interface 113 to the core unit 7. Such a control program of the CPU 114 is stored in the memory 116, and the CPU 114 performs control while referring to the memory 116. The memory 116 is also used as a work area for the CPU 114.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the core unit 7. Image data from the reader unit 1 is transferred to the data processing unit 121 via the interface 122, and a control command from the reader unit 1 is transferred to the CPU 123. The data processing unit 121 performs image processing such as image rotation processing and scaling processing. The image data transferred from the reader unit 1 to the data processing unit 121 corresponds to the control command transferred from the reader unit 1. Then, the data is transferred to the network interface unit 4 through the interface 120.

  In addition, the core unit 7 receives data sent from a terminal (WWW browser) on the network via the network interface 4 and causes the data processing unit 121 to supply the data. Under the control of the CPU 123, the data processing unit 121 outputs the input data to the formatter unit 5 via the interface 120, and generates bitmap data here. Here, although it is the formatter unit 5, the bitmap data generated here depends on the printer unit 2. When bitmap data for one page is completed in the formatter unit 5, the data processing unit 121 receives it via the interface 120 and stores it in the image storage device 125 with the file name “***. Bmp”. Here, the three characters after the period are an extension indicating that it is bitmap data. In “***”, an alphanumeric string representing the saved time is described. For example, in the case of 14: 23: 38.47, “***” becomes “14-23-38-47”, and the bitmap file name for one page stored as a result is “14-23”. -38-47.bmp ”. This makes the file name unique. When the bitmap file is stored, the file “index.html” shown in FIG. 6 is updated in the image storage device 125 (created when the first bitmap file is stored).

Here, for example, the following description character string is inserted into the area (1) in FIG.
<A HREF="14-23-38-47.bmp"> Preview_14-23-38-47 </A><p>
<INPUT TYPE = "submit" VALUE = "Print">
<INPUT TYPE = "submit" VALUE = "Delete">
That is, a stored bitmap file name and a command to be processed when printing the bitmap data stored as the bitmap file are described.

  Hereinafter, when data for a plurality of pages is received, the bitmap data based on the data is stored as a file with the storage time as the file name, and “index.html” is updated.

  Thus, when the processing for the data from the WWW browser is completed, a bitmap file for each page and a file (text) “index.html” for the data (job) are generated in the image storage device 125. Become.

  Here, a case is considered in which the WWW browser instructs the image input / output control unit 3 that is the WWW server in the present embodiment to transfer the file “index.html”.

  If the address of the image input / output control unit 3 is “www.hogehoge.foo.co.jp” and it is instructed to transfer “index.html” of the HTML description stored there (generally, http </www.hogehoge.foo.co.jp/index.html ”will be displayed on the PC / WS8, 9, 10 which is a WWW browser as shown in FIG.

  When the “14-23-38-47” display portion 211 of the WWW browser is clicked with the mouse, the image input / output control unit 3 causes the corresponding bitmap data (14-23- stored in the image storage device 125) to be displayed. 38-47.bmp) is transferred and displayed. Further, the display portion 212 “print” is clicked with the mouse, and transferred to the printer portion 2 via the interface portion 122. Also, 14-23-38-47.bmp is deleted from the image storage device 125 by clicking on the display portion “delete” 213 with the mouse, and added to the area (1) of the index.html file 201. The description is also deleted.

  In other words, according to the first embodiment, for the user operating the WWW browser, when the displayed image is to be printed, first, the data is sent to the WWW server (image input / output control unit 3). 7), bitmap data for each page is created on the WWW server side, and a display screen as shown in FIG. 7 is obtained. Then, by clicking on the bitmap file, it is possible to display the bitmap data when the image input / output control unit 3 prints on the display screen.

  The processing procedure on the WWW server (image input / output control unit 3) side is as shown in FIG.

  First, code data representing an image input via the network interface unit 4 is transferred to the data processing unit 121 via the interface unit 120, and then transferred to the formatter unit 5 via the interface unit 120. Each page is developed into image data (step S1). The image data is transferred to the data processing unit 121 via the interface unit 120, and then stored in the image storage device 125 by the CPU 123 with the file name (extension is “.bmp”) for each page. Save (step S2). At this time, the description as described above is added to the area (1) of the index.html file 201 of the HTML document on the image storage device 125 shown in FIG. 6 (step S3). Then, it is determined whether or not all pages have been completed (step S4), and if not completed, steps S1 to S3 are repeated.

  In addition, since it is publicly known to perform file transfer in response to a request from a WWW browser, description thereof is omitted.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The connection relationship on the network and the configuration of each device are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  In the first embodiment described above, after the code data is expanded into image data, it is stored in the image storage device 125 for each page, and a description is added to the index.html file 201 for each page. In the second embodiment, after the code data is expanded into image data, only the first page is stored in the image storage device 125 as display image data, and the top of the job is stored. Only the pages are described in the “index.html” file 201, all pages of the job are stored in the image storage device 125 as one file, and output or deleted for each job.

  FIG. 8 shows an operation processing procedure of the WWW server (image input / output control unit 3) in the second embodiment. The processing procedure will be described below.

  Code data representing an image input via the network interface unit 4 is transferred to the data processing unit 121 via the interface unit 120 and then transferred to the formatter unit 5 via the interface unit 120 for one page. Each image is expanded into image data (step S101). Then, after this image data is transferred to the data processing unit 121 via the interface unit 120, the CPU 123 determines whether or not it is the first page of the job (step S102). ***. Bmp (“***” is an alphanumeric string indicating the saved time, eg “14-23-38-47.bmp” for a file saved at 14: 23: 38.47 seconds) Is stored as display image data with the file name (step S103), and all-***. Bmp ("***" is an alphanumeric string indicating the stored time, for example, 14:00) in the image storage device 125. The file saved at 23 minutes 38.47 seconds is saved as print image data with the file name “all-14-23-38-47.bmp”) (step S104). If it is determined in step S102 that the page is not the first page, it is added to a file (for example, all-14-23-38-47.bmp) existing in the image storage device 125 (step S105).

In this way, it is determined whether or not all pages have been completed (step S106). If they have not been completed, steps S101 to S105 are repeated. If all pages have been completed, the image storage device 125 shown in FIG. The following description is added for each page to the area (1) of the index.html file 201 of the above-mentioned MTML document (step S107), and this processing ends.
<A HREF="14-23-38-47.bmp"> Preview_14-23-38-47 </A><p>
<INPUT TYPE = "submit" VALUE = "Print">
<INPUT TYPE = "submit" VALUE = "Delete">

  When there is a request to transfer index.html on www.hogehoge.foo.co.jp from PC / WS8, 9, 10 which is a WWW browser, the file is transferred. As a result, the screen as shown in FIG. 7 is displayed on the screen on the WWW browser side.

  Then, the image input / output control unit 3 stores “14-23-38” stored in the image storage device 125 on the WWW browser by clicking on the portion 211 of “14-23-38-47” of the WWW browser with the mouse. -47.bmp ”is displayed, and the file name“ all-14-23-38-47.bmp ”is displayed via the interface unit 122 by clicking the“ print ”portion 212 with the mouse. The image data is transferred to the printer unit 2. Moreover, 14-23-38-47.bmp and all-14-23-38-47.bmp are deleted from the image storage device 125 and index.html is clicked by clicking the part 213 “delete” with the mouse. The description added to the area (1) of the file 201 is deleted.

<Third Embodiment>
In the first and second embodiments described above, a preview of a document to be printed is displayed on the client side by starting a WWW browser. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

  For example, when a print instruction is given by a general application (such as a word processor application) other than the WWW browser, the printer driver performs emulation so as to perform communication conforming to the protocol described in the first and second embodiments. This is because it can also be realized.

  The image input / output control unit 3 functions as a WWW server and also functions as a print server or the like. The operation procedure of the image input / output control unit 3 may be any of the operations of the first and second embodiments. Here, the operation procedure is the same as that of the first embodiment, and a PC that is a client device is used. The processing of / WS8, 9, 10 will be described. However, it is assumed that MS-Windows (registered trademark) by US Microsoft Corporation is operating as the OS operating on the client device side, and the formatter unit 5 in the image input / output control unit 3 is MS-Windows (registered). It is possible to interpret the metacommand in the trademark), and create bitmap data accordingly.

  When a preview or print process is instructed on the application, meta-command format information is received from the application. In step S201, the information has already been transferred to the server (image input / output control unit 3). Judge whether or not.

  If it is determined that the data has not been transferred, the process advances to step S202 to transfer the data in the metacommand format to the image input / output control unit 3. As a result, a bitmap file for each page and a file called index.html are created in the image storage device 125 in the image input / output control unit 3 by performing the processing described in the first embodiment. Therefore, in step S203, transfer request for index.hmtl is received.

  In step S204, it is determined whether the instruction from the operator is a preview or a print instruction. If it is determined to be a preview, the same processing is performed as when the bitmap file name portion described in index.html is clicked on the server, and the bitmap data file is received in step S205. Displayed in step S206.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the instruction is a print instruction, the process advances from step S204 to step S207 to determine whether the instruction is a print instruction. If it is determined that it is a print instruction, the index.html that has already been received is processed as if the “print” part was clicked. A request to delete the printed information is issued by processing as if the portion was clicked (step S208).

  If it is determined that it is not a print instruction, the process proceeds to step S209 to perform a corresponding process.

  As a result, according to the third embodiment, the printer driver operating on the client side has a part of the function of the WWW browser, but can issue a print instruction and a preview instruction from a general application. In addition, it is possible to display the image data itself that is displayed by the preview instruction or printed. Further, since some functions of the WWW browser are not actively notified to the operator, a preview can be displayed as a general printer driver.

  In the third embodiment, the meta-command format information is transferred to the server. However, the information instructed by the higher-level process (such as an application) is translated into a page description language, and the image input / output control is performed. It may be transferred to the unit 3. The image input / output control unit 3 originally needs an interpreter that interprets the page description language transferred from the client side and develops it into bitmap data. However, if it is an interpreter of another language, Unintended image data is displayed on the client side, and the image displayed in the preview and the image to be printed are completely matched. This is exactly the same in the first and second embodiments.

  In the embodiment, a preview or print instruction is given on the client side. However, these instructions may be given on the server side. In this case, a display device for preview display may be provided on the server side.

  Obviously, the present invention may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices (server and client), or to a single apparatus provided with a server and a client.

  Another object of the present invention is to supply a storage medium storing software program codes for implementing the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus, and the computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus stores the storage medium. Needless to say, this can also be achieved by reading and executing the program code stored in.

  In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

  As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

  Further, by executing the program code read by the computer, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also an OS (operating system) operating on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. It goes without saying that a case where the function of the above-described embodiment is realized by performing part or all of the actual processing and the processing is included.

  Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the function expansion is performed based on the instruction of the program code. It goes without saying that the CPU or the like provided in the board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the image displayed in the preview can be matched with the actually printed image. In particular, such a function can be realized corresponding to the Internet environment.

It is a system conceptual diagram in an embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the reader part by the side of a server, and a printer part in embodiment. It is a block block diagram of the reader part in FIG. It is a block block diagram of the image input / output control part 3 in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the operation processing content of the image input / output control part in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the content of the index text file produced | generated by the image input / output control part. It is a figure which shows the example of a display displayed based on the file of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the operation processing content of the image input / output control part in 2nd Embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation processing procedure of a printer driver that operates on a client side in a third embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Reader part 2 Printer part 3 Image input / output control part 4 Network interface part 5 Formatter part 6 Image memory part 7 Core part 8-10 PC / WS

Claims (8)

A printing apparatus having printing means capable of printing image data stored in a storage means,
The printing apparatus includes:
Image data based on data transmitted from another device configured to be able to give instructions to the printing device using a WWW browser is stored in the storage unit;
And the printing apparatus comprises:
After the image data is stored in the storage means,
Data used to display a display screen applied to instruct printing of the image data using the WWW browser is configured to be transmitted to the other device according to an instruction from the other device. ,
And the printing apparatus comprises:
When printing of the image data is instructed via the display screen displayed using the WWW browser on the other device,
It is configured to cause the printing means to print the image data.
A printing apparatus characterized by that. The printing apparatus according to claim 1,
The printing apparatus includes:
An instruction from the other device for data used to display a display screen that is used by instructing to print at least the image data and instructing to delete the image data using the WWW browser Configured to transmit to the other device,
And the printing apparatus comprises:
When deletion of the image data is instructed via the display screen displayed using the WWW browser on the other device,
Configured to delete the image data from the storage means;
A printing apparatus characterized by that. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The printing apparatus includes:
Data used to display a display screen used both for instructing at least printing of the image data using the WWW browser and instructing preview display of the image data is transmitted from the other device. Is configured to transmit to the other device in response to
And the printing apparatus comprises:
When the preview display of the image data is instructed via the display screen displayed using the WWW browser on the other device,
Configured to transmit image data for preview display of the image data to the other device;
A printing apparatus characterized by that. The printing apparatus according to claim 3,
The printing apparatus includes:
Bitmap data of all pages of bitmap data consisting of a plurality of pages as image data created based on data from the other device when preview display of the image data is instructed via the display screen Configured to transmit to the other device,
A printing apparatus characterized by that. The printing apparatus according to claim 3,
The printing apparatus includes:
Bitmap data of all pages of bitmap data consisting of a plurality of pages as image data created based on data from the other device when preview display of the image data is instructed via the display screen Configured to transmit bitmap data of a given page to the other device without transmitting
A printing apparatus characterized by that. A printing apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5,
The printing apparatus includes:
When the preview display of the image data is instructed via the display screen,
Transmit bitmap data of all pages of bitmap data consisting of a plurality of pages as image data created based on data from the other device to the other device, or send bitmap data of a predetermined page to the other device. Configured to transmit to other devices,
And the printing apparatus comprises:
Even when transmitting the bitmap data of all pages to the other device, even when transmitting the bitmap data of the predetermined page to the other device,
At least when the printing of the image data is instructed via the display screen, the printing unit is configured to print the bitmap data of all pages.
A printing apparatus characterized by that. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The printing apparatus includes:
Along with creating the bitmap data as the image data based on the data from the other device, the HTML file for the bitmap data is created.
And the printing apparatus comprises:
It is configured to transfer the HTML file to the other device based on the transfer instruction of the HTML file as an instruction from the other device.
A printing apparatus characterized by that. The printing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein
The printing apparatus includes:
Along with creating bitmap data as image data based on data from the other device, a file name is generated for the bitmap data, and the bitmap data is stored in the storage means with the file name. Configured to save,
A printing apparatus characterized by that.

Images